Can't keep the chlorine in - SLAMming in Canada!

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I.Robert

I.Robert

0
Jul 18, 2015
30
Hamilton, ON, Canada
Greetings All,

This is my introductory post. Like many before me, I'm sure, it's about the chlorine disappearing act!

First off let me say that this forum has a wealth of knowledge and I really appreciate all of the help. It was overwhelming at first, but I quickly realized that for TFPC, no matter what, you need to SLAM it properly to solve it.

I'm on my 5th attempt to get stable chlorine. The current attempt being the SLAM.

Getting right into it...

The constants:
FC 0
TC 0
CC 0
PH 7.6
CH 266
TA 86
CYA (varies)
Metals 0
Water is clear.
Algae very little visible on a few leaves floating around and on light dirt at liner seams.

First 3 attempts: (CYA 64)
1. HTH Extra Super Shock 16oz evening. Result (OTO): TC 0 in the morning
2. HTH Extra Super Shock 16oz evening. Result (OTO): TC 0 in the morning
3. HTH Extra Super Shock 32oz evening. Result (pool shop): TC 0 in the morning

4. Plain household bleach 4.25% Sodium Hypochlorite 3.5gal (18ppm based on Pool Calculator with estimated CYA 58)
i. Vacuum to waste
ii. Replace ~10% water
iii. Shock evening
Result (OTO): TC >5 in the morning, TC 0 in the evening

5th and current attempt is to SLAM!
However, I cannot get a FAS-DPD kit this weekend, they are not readily available in Canada. I need to do this with Aquachek strips that only go to 10ppm.
I know, this is not ideal, but I have hatched a plan to stick with the Level & Maintain as best as I can:

I'm using the same bleach, 3.1gal (17ppm based on Pool Calculator with pool shop tested CYA 55)

What I'm doing to get some sort of sanity out of the test strips, is to run a bucket test in parallel with the pool SLAM.
I filled a bucket with 2gal tap water and 2gal pool water. The idea is that this bucket will have a CYA of 27.5 and will only need 13ppm to SLAM it - this brings it almost down into the test strip range.
The fact that there is half the pool water, half the contaminants and half the CYA, everything might just balance out :)

Last night I started the process.

I put 3.1gal in the pool and 1tsp in the bucket.

This morning's results:
Pool: 8ppm
Bucket: 4ppm

They are both about 9ppm loss overnight! Great!

I put 1.6gal in the pool and just over 1/2tsp in the bucket, to replace 9ppm in both.

After 2 hours, we are still off the chart on both. I will bring the levels back up when I see the bucket go to 9ppm or less (testing every 2 hours).

I'll update after the next bleaching.

Thanks for reading and any comments on this "unorthodox" test method :goodjob:

-Rob
 
Wow Rob! You certainly get an "A" for improvising without the proper test kit. But in all honestly, you really need to get your hands on a Taylor K-2006. Those two variables (FC and CYA) are extremely critical for you at this stage. You will find the K-2006 here at TFTestkits.net and also (I believe) on Amazon.com. The faster you get that kit in your hands, the faster you will see more accurate results. In the meantime, I do applaud your effort to try to manage FC. Eventually though, there is no substitution for the kit. If it helps you, when I use the Poolmath calculator and plug-in bleach at the 4.25% that you used there locally, it takes about one gallon of bleach to go from an FC of zero to just over 5.

If there is anything else we can do for you at this time, just let us know.
 
Welcome!

The first three attempts at a SLAM didn't work because you don't have a proper test kit. You already know what's going to happen on the 4th SLAM attempt without a proper test kit.

The methods here are not complicated but must be followed accurately to produce results. Buy a proper test kit. Until it arrives pour a gallon of plain bleach into the pool daily.

Let's make your 4th SLAM the last one. Ever.
 
He can't get a TF-100 unless he drives to the states :( He can get a Taylor 2006 but it will cost him BUT I think it would be worth is as the SLAMS are costing him quite a bit also.

HI! And welcome!

One thing that sticks out to me is that you seem to only be testing and adding once or twice a day. You need to test and add at LEAST 4 times a day, more it at all possible. If you work outside the house-1 when your first get up (after coffee of course!), 2 as soon as you get home, 3 at dinner, 4 right before bed.

Are you running the pump 24/7? That is also VERY important.

Your method is not ideal but.............it is better than nothing for sure. I hope it works until you can get a "real" test kit. Who knows it might just work for you in the long run also.

PLEASE keep us updated so we can see how things go.

Kim
 
Thanks for your comments, Texas & robdac.

I am definitely getting a proper kit ASAP but need to make an attempt in the meantime, summer is too short!

This is actually my first SLAM attempt. The other 4 were to try a regular single shock "pool store style", before I understood the SLAM.

If this holds, I will be maintaining it religiously with a proper kit. Or at least the next SLAM will have a proper kid on hand if necessary.

A couple things I didn't mention:
Phosphates >2500ppb
Ammonia 0

Of all the reading I've done, I still don't understand what's eating all the chlorine and leaving a CC of zero?

-Rob
 
A+ for ingenuity!! I have a question though. Do you have a source for filtered water? What I'm looking for is water with no chlorine or chloramines. If so, you could just dilute your samples and read directly.
Example: If you mix 1/2 pool with 1/2 filtered your reading would be half. So 10 would read as 5 and 20 would read as 10. Might be easier then the bucket method...
 
Have you looked at your ladder/steps? Look real close. There has been two in the past month where they found the ladder was hiding algae. BOTH of them was with the things/stuff used to weigh the ladder down.

Kim
 
Thanks, Kim!

This time, since it's over the weekend, I'm on it every 2hrs in the day ;)
With no way to test, I didn't know what to put in at morning on my 4th try. So I left it and hoped it would hold.

I am running recirculate 24/7 so far.

-Rob

P.S. Going to pull the ladder now!
 
you've probably got some algae hiding somewhere. The big thing this year is in the light. I don't have one but a number of folks have reported finding gobs of yuck in behind the light.

You say 0 ammonia. Did you buy a test from the fish store, or is that from the pool $tore reading?
 
pabeader said:
A+ for ingenuity!! I have a question though. Do you have a source for filtered water? What I'm looking for is water with no chlorine or chloramines. If so, you could just dilute your samples and read directly.
Example: If you mix 1/2 pool with 1/2 filtered your reading would be half. So 10 would read as 5 and 20 would read as 10. Might be easier then the bucket method...
Click to expand...

Hmmmm that would be a lot easier right! I might have over-thought the test strip range problem. I could easily get some jugs of distilled water for this.
 

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I.Robert said:
A couple things I didn't mention:
Phosphates >2500ppb
Ammonia 0

Of all the reading I've done, I still don't understand what's eating all the chlorine and leaving a CC of zero?

-Rob
Click to expand...

Don't worry about phosphates unless your start a pool store and want to sell stuff people don't need.

Two things eat chlorine; sun and algae. You'll get a proper test kit and figure out the CYA. That will solve the sun problem. A proper SLAM will solve the algae problem and you'll be set. Until then, I would put a gallon of bleach a day into the pool. That should keep the problem from getting worse.
 
how old is the bleach? 4.25% is really low. Wonder if there is a place up there where you can get stronger stuff? I have read of a place called Canadian Tire that carries just about everything.

Since the ammonia test was done by you we can assume that isn't the culprit.
 
I will need to dilute to do the OCLT. Hey, it's something ;) and I'm already in, I need to continue.

Brand new bleach - the 4.25% is the strongest generic at Walmart up here. It's equiv. $1.50 USD/gal, so I am not spending huge so far despite the low concentration.
I haven't checked "Crappy Tire" :D

I read a 6ppm loss in 4hrs and just dumped in 1.1gal.

-Rob
 
Good Morning!

Here are the readings. I'm not sure how I feel about it but I guess that's test strips for ya...

Last night:
Diluted 1:1 = >10ppm (>20, which was above my target of 17 - maybe the final bleach hadn't mixed yet?)
Diluted 1:2.5 = 5

This morning:
Diluted 1:1 = 9
Diluted 1:2.5 = 3

Should I stop and see how much I lose throughout the day?

-Rob

P.S. TF-100 has been ordered.
 

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